2: Iron Shirt Evolution

The night wind howled, swirling up dry leaves and dust from the ground, brushing past Lin Jingyu's blood-stained cheek.

A breeze blew past... “Something... just killed someone.” Lin Jingyu's voice

evolution points!

This was his only thought right now.

Kill! Only through slaughter could he gain power and survive in this cursed place!

He stopped hesitating. His tall frame was like a descending fierce tiger, taking large strides as he rushed toward the dead silent deserted village.

"Whoosh whoosh" strange sounds... Lin Jingyu slowed his pace, his body slightly hunched, like a leopard poised to strike.

He moved along the shadows of the broken walls and ruins, his Firewood Knife held horizontally in front of him, his senses heightened to the extreme.

Scanning every corner.

Bloodstains.

Dark red, almost black bloodstains were everywhere.

Lin Jingyu's heart sank.

He cautiously ventured deeper along an alleyway marked by dragged bloodstains.

He sought to capture that faint, cold, and foul scent in the air, besides the smell of blood—the scent of evolution points!

At the end of the alley! A wooden door... Lin Jingyu's gaze sharpened. Without the slightest hesitation, his left foot stomped forcefully on the ground!

"Bang!"

The already rickety wooden door was instantly shattered by his brutal force! Wood chips flew everywhere!

The scene inside the house instantly came into view.

It was a horrific sight!

The narrow earthen house was a complete mess.

Tables and chairs were overturned, clay pots were shattered, and debris was scattered across the floor.

Large patches of blood were splattered on the walls and floor, so thick it could almost cover one's ankles.

Several mutilated corpses lay haphazardly in the pool of blood. The heavy stench of blood mixed with the rank smell of internal organs, creating a sickening aura of death.

In the corner of the room, beside a pile of broken tiles and debris, a figure was still faintly twitching.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a patched, coarse linen short jacket.

His chest had been completely ripped open, his pale white ribs exposed to the air, and only a bloody, gaping hole remained where his heart should be.

Life was visibly draining from his eyes.

Lin Jingyu's gaze swept across the entire room. After confirming there were no other living beings or threats, he strode over to the dying man and squatted down.

His movements were almost coldly efficient, devoid of sympathy, driven only by his thirst for evolution points.

"What happened here? What did this?" Lin Jingyu's voice was low and direct, like a cold iron block hitting the ground.

Using all his remaining strength, his blood-soaked right hand trembled as he raised it, pointing toward the rudimentary earthen bed at the back of the house.

His fingers shook violently, barely able to stay up.

His eyes stared intensely at Lin Jingyu, filled with unspeakable urgency and pleading, "Run... quickly... there are... Ghost... Shadows... they... will... re..."

Before he could utter the word "turn," the light in his eyes abruptly went out. His raised right hand dropped powerlessly, slamming heavily into the cold pool of blood and splashing a few dark red droplets.

He was completely lifeless.

Only the thick, suffocating smell of blood and Lin Jingyu's heavy breathing remained in the room.

"Ghost Shadow..." Lin Jingyu repeated the key phrase softly, his gaze sharp as a knife.

He looked around and saw a half-book lying on the dilapidated bed. He picked it up and saw it was the *Iron Cloth Shirt*. (Forcibly added because I forgot, sorry (＞_＜))

"System, reinforce Iron Cloth Shirt."

[Current Status: Not Initiated (0/30 evolution points required to deduce to "Initial Glimpse of the Path")]

[Detectable Evolution Path: Iron Cloth Shirt → Vajra Shield → Indestructible Vajra Divine Art → Star Body Tempering Method → ... (Requires consumption of evolution points to unlock subsequent stages)]

[Current Evolvable Direction: Iron Cloth Shirt → Vajra Shield (Minor Accomplishment), requires 30 evolution points.]

Lin Jingyu glanced at his only 30 evolution points. His thoughts raced, and he instantly made a decision!

"Deduce! Evolve directly to Vajra Shield!" He decisively commanded in his mind!

[30 evolution points consumed! Deduction and evolution initiated... Deduction Target: *Iron Cloth Shirt (Basic)* → *Vajra Shield: Minor Accomplishment*!]

[Deduction successful! Initial Glimpse of the Path! Mastered!]

"Boom—!"

[Realm: Body Refining Realm, 3rd Layer]

A torrent of golden energy, far more magnificent, profound, and carrying the Concept of Indestructibility than the previous Iron Sand Palm deduction, suddenly erupted from the depths of his body!

It was like a sleeping bronze bell being struck by immense force!

Ooom—!

Lin Jingyu's entire body—bones, tendons, and skin—emitted a low hum at this moment!

His tall and robust body jolted violently. His rock-like, knotted muscles bulged and swelled, and beneath his skin, countless tiny golden snakes seemed to be frantically swimming, coiling, and condensing!

Vajra Shield: Minor Accomplishment! Copper Skin and Iron Bones!

Just as the golden light completely retracted!

"Whooo—!!!"

A twisted, nearly translucent black shadow, like a specter, "floated" in through the doorway Lin Jingyu had kicked apart!

"Ghost Shadow..." Lin Jingyu's pupils contracted slightly; he instantly recognized this thing!

It was exactly the entity the villager had warned him about before dying!

Far from feeling fear, a burning Battle Intent ignited in his eyes!

The newly upgraded Vajra Shield was perfect for testing on you!

The Ghost Shadow seemed to sense the thick, pure, and impenetrable Qi and blood defense emanating from Lin Jingyu, letting out an even sharper, menacing shriek! It suddenly "pounced"... This claw strike was enough to easily tear open fine iron armor and gouge out a living creature's heart!

Facing this terrifying claw strike, which was enough to make even ordinary Martial Artists of the Bone Forging Realm turn pale, Lin Jingyu made a move that seemed to freeze the Ghost Shadow's scarlet eyes for a moment!

He did not dodge! He did not evade!

He didn't even raise his knife to block!

Lin Jingyu simply took a sharp breath, his chest swelling high like a bellows! His knotted muscles instantly tensed to the extreme, and the layer of dark golden luster beneath his skin suddenly became bright and solid! His entire being seemed to transform into an Angry Vajra!

"Come!" A thunderous roar rumbled from his throat. He actually thrust out his chest, actively colliding with the heart-gouging Ghost Claw!

Using his flesh and blood body to forcefully withstand the demonic evil claw!

He wanted to test the quality of this Vajra Shield!

In a flash of lightning!

"Clang—!!!"

An incredibly loud sound of metal striking metal, like a giant hammer violently hitting an ancient temple's bronze bell, exploded within the small earthen house! The violent sound waves shook dust from the ceiling!

Sparks flew everywhere!

No, those weren't sparks! It was the dazzling light emitted when the supremely Yang and perfectly rigid golden Qi and blood power fiercely collided with and annihilated the cold and foul Ghost Claw evil Qi!

The Ghost Shadow's sharp claw, capable of piercing iron and stone, landed squarely on Lin Jingyu's chest!

The expected scene of flesh being ripped open and the heart being gouged out did not occur!

The Ghost Claw, condensed with evil Qi, felt like it was grabbing a red-hot, thousand-times-tempered fine copper ingot!

A mighty and irresistible counter-shock force, carrying scorching, fierce golden Qi and blood, violently rebounded back along the Ghost Claw!

"Aooo—!!!" The Ghost Shadow let out a miserable, painful shriek, far exceeding its previous cries!

The intense pain made the Ghost Shadow instinctively try to retract its claw, and its smoky form rolled more violently, attempting to re-condense.

However, it was too late!

"Fantastic!" Lin Jingyu felt the negligible impact on his chest and the powerful counter-shock feedback from the Vajra Shield. He grinned a cold and ferocious smile, and fierce light erupted in his eyes!

He gave the Ghost Shadow no chance to react!

While puffing out his chest to withstand the Ghost Claw just now, his entire body's muscles had already tightened like bowstrings stretched to their limit! Now, the bowstring was released!

His right foot stomped fiercely backward!

"Crack!" The packed earth floor beneath his foot instantly developed a shallow pit, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards!

Lin Jingyu's tall and robust body, utilizing the brutal force of the stomp, shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, or an out-of-control siege hammer, colliding violently with the rolling, dissipating smoky Ghost Shadow ahead in the simplest, most direct, and most savage manner!

The brutal, immense power of the Vajra Shield's Minor Accomplishment was unleashed without reservation in this collision!

There was no technique, only the crushing force of pure power pushed to the extreme!

"Rumble—!!!"

Under the terrifying, elephantine charging force of Lin Jingyu, the earthen house wall burst open, creating a huge hole as if it were made of paper! Bricks, stones, and earth shot backward like cannonballs!

The Ghost Shadow, which bore the brunt of the attack, didn't even have time to let out a complete scream!

Bang!

A muffled explosion sounded, like squeezing a water-filled balloon until it burst.

The thick black smoke instantly exploded, transforming into countless tiny wisps of cold air carrying intense resentment, which let out a "hissing" wail in the air before being completely dispersed and purified by the scorching, Yang Qi and blood emanating from Lin Jingyu, vanishing without a trace.

Only a faint, sickening smell of burnt matter lingered in the air for a moment.

[Ding! Killed Low-Rank Ghost Shadow! Gained evolution points +20!]

The cold System notification sounded at the right time, announcing the end of the battle.

Dust filled the air... He looked down at his chest, which was completely unharmed, not even a white mark left behind, then looked at the collapsed earthen wall ruins on the ground, a satisfied curve spreading across his lips.

"Vajra Shield... tough enough!" He squeezed his fist, his knuckles making a sharp "crack" sound. Feeling the powerful force surging within him, a sense of security from controlling his own destiny arose spontaneously.

Evolution Point Balance: 0 (Initial 10 points zeroed out after deducting Iron Sand Palm) + 20 points from killing Ghost Shadow = 20 points.

His gaze swept over the corpses of the villagers inside the house, his expression showing no fluctuation.

In this world, death was the norm.

Lin Jingyu's gaze finally passed over the collapsed wall and was cast toward the depths of the deserted village.

But Lin Jingyu's keen senses captured even more.

The smell of blood drifting on the wind... from more than one location!

Farther away, there seemed to be extremely faint, intermittent chewing sounds... and more than one cold aura, faintly discernible like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness!

The Ghost Shadow just now was definitely not acting alone! There were more hidden in this dead silent deserted village!

"Heh..." A low chuckle escaped Lin Jingyu's throat, carrying cold killing intent and a hint of... excitement.

He twisted his neck, producing a sharp "crack" of knuckles, and strode forward, stepping over the ruins and the viscous pool of blood, heading toward the deeper, heavier darkness within the deserted village.

The rusty Firewood Knife dragged on the ground, scraping out a harsh "shasha" sound in the silence, like the whetstone of the God of Death.

His figure quickly merged into the deep night, only his eyes, still sharp as a hawk's in the darkness, gleamed with naked desire for evolution points.

The next prey.